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[3]

What? Did not that most illustrious man, Publius Scipio, 1 the Pontifex
Maximus, in his capacity of a private citizen, put to death Tiberius Gracchus, though but
slightly undermining the constitution? And shall we, who are the consuls, tolerate Catiline,
openly desirous to destroy the whole world with fire and slaughter? For I pass over older
instances, such as how Caius Servilius Ahala with his own hand slew Spurius Maelius when
plotting a revolution in the state. There was—there was once such virtue in this
republic, that brave men would repress mischievous citizens with severer chastisement than
the most bitter enemy. For we have a resolution 2 of the senate, a formidable and authoritative
decree against you, O Catiline; the wisdom of the republic is not at fault, nor the dignity
of this senatorial body. We, we alone,—I say it openly, —we, the consuls,
are waiting in our duty.

1 This was
Scipio Nasica, who called on the consul Mucius Scaevola to do his duty and save the
republic; but as he refused to put any one to death without a trial, Scipio called on all
the citizens to follow him, and stormed the Capitol, which Gracchus had occupied with his
party, and slew many of the partisans of Gracchus, and Gracchus himself.

2 This resolution was
couched in the form VideantConsulesnequidrespublicadetrimenticapiat; and it exempted the consuls from all obligation to attend to the ordinary
forms of law, and invested them with absolute power over the lives of all the citizens who
were intriguing against the republic.

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